Time Management for Entrepreneurs

Timely tips on time management for baby boomer entrepreneurs

Developing time management skills is crucial for entrepreneurs and the success of entrepreneurial projects, regardless of where they are heading.

You, as an entrepreneur, are in control of your time whether you realize it or not! You have priorities, for example God, your spouse, your children, other family members or others. Maybe work is one of your major priorities. Perhaps it is a hobby of some kind.

Take a moment and look at what your priorities are, in the light of what they could be or should be. You can change your priorities, if you really desire to do so. Sometimes, it is a good idea to put your priorities in order.

You have exactly the same amount of time as everyone else in the entire world. What you choose to do with it, or how you allocate your time, will be a crucial factor in determining the final results of your entrepreneurial project.

It is a shock to realize that time is going to pass by, whether you choose to do something with it or not. Time will steal away a lot faster than you realize. All of a sudden, you may have to ask yourself, "Where has all the time gone? What did I do with it? What do I have to show for it?"

You, as an entrepreneur, can claim your time back. It is a valuable commodity and not intended to be wasted. Time is said to equal dollars. Make a practice of stating "This is my time!" Claim it back and then use it wisely. Do not waste it!

The proper allocation of your time is critical. How much time you are putting into your entrepreneurial project, may determine its ultimate success or failure. You can begin to budget your time right now, just like you budget your money. Learn to allocate a certain amount of time to accomplish one task and then, do the same with other tasks.

Look at how you spent your time today, in comparison with how you plan to spend it tomorrow or a week from tomorrow. Was your time used in a positive and constructive direction or in a negative and destructive direction? Make changes in the future accordingly, if you deem that be necessary.

Be realistic in terms of whether or not, you are a good judge of time. Do you tend to think in terms of minutes when doing something or is it in terms of hours? Do those hours fly by, while you think that it is only a few minutes that have passed?

Quite often conservation of time, results in conservation of energy, too. When time flies by, it is in minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years. Look at your time in that light!

By saving time, you are going to save your energy too! Consider how much energy you have saved in any one period of time. Govern yourself accordingly and ask yourself what else you could do with that extra energy.

Look at all of the different kinds of time, for example, family time versus non-family time, leisure time versus non-leisure time and work time versus non-work time. Each one of these is important in your life, but are they in balance with each other? If not, that can be corrected.

Ask yourself, how much time you spend on rest and relaxation or sleeping. How many hours of sleep do you need to function at your best? Are you wasting all of your valuable time sleeping? Speak to your doctor about that, if this is the case.

Are dollars legislating your time or robbing you of valuable time? Improving money management skills can help you to save time. That time is valuable, so invest it in your entrepreneurial project. Ask yourself it you are a good time manager and if you realize that you may not be, seek advice from others, who you know are good time managers. Then follow their example.

Are you wasting time needlessly? Wasting time can be equated to wasting one's life. What is causing your time to be wasted?

Look at factors like fear and indecision. Are these acute or chronic problems, in your life and entrepreneurship? Perhaps you are bored and are wasting time because you are bored, rather than moving on to something higher, that presents an exciting new challenge for you. Look at all of the time that you are wasting and make changes accordingly.

Take a look at all of the time breakers, wreckers and destroyers in your life. Who or what is robbing you of all of your valuable time? Do you have continual good and bad interruptions? Are these people, pets, television programs or commercials, maybe telephone calls? How about telemarketing calls? You can begin to take control of these, once you realize that this is what is happening with your time.

Take a serious look your world every day and see if you have accomplished something that you intended to get accomplished. If not, ask yourself why not and change your future plans accordingly.

In other words, plan your days. They are yours to plan! Remember that if you think that you have time in a bottle that time is going to sail away, as if on a wave. Don't put your time in a bottle, toss it into an ocean and expect it to return to you either, because it may just disappear over the horizon.

Is time driving you and your entrepreneurial project or are you the one in the driver's seat? Is time driving you crazy? Remember that planning your time well, will save you time in the long run, but over-planning your time or being too exact in terms of a time frame, can become frustrating and ruin your time completely. Make certain that you do allow holiday time or travel time, because you deserve a reward, once in a while.

When you are setting a time frame for your entrepreneurial project, be realistic.

How long should it take? What can you do if you have over-extended that time frame? What other options do you have? If you have not met your own expectations, look seriously at why you did not meet them. 

Who, or what, is holding you and your project back? Does your completion date need to be adjusted? Is your actual job time appropriate for the remuneration that you will receive? Anything can be changed!

Remember above all else, that your time is precious, so are time management skills and so are you as an entrepreneur! Time management is important for entrepreneurs.